Previous Winners

BIRMINGHAM DANCE COMPETITION

Birmingham Dance Competition: Industry judges have provided feedback for the acts competiting in the TeenStar Birmingham dance competition. The industry judges have provided singing and dance feedback on how acts can be successful in developing their performances.

Birmingham Dance Competition – Feedback

The judges providing feedback at the Birmingham dance competition were:

James Williams - Midlands Academy of Musical Theatre

Sharmayne Whitter - New Age Creativity

Tru Powell - Aston Performing Arts Academy

Kim Mason - Incredibly Cool Events

Chris Grayston - Head of Future Productions and Music Consultant for Sony, Thames TV and Syco Entertainment

Birmingham Dance Competition: See industry feedback below. Please be aware views expressed by judges are opinions and subjective to that particular judging panel. These views in no way reflect the views of the TeenStar competition, and are published with a view to being beneficial to the performing acts.

Dance Competition Birmingham Feedback - Pre-Teens

Annie – You have a lovely sweet vocal and have lots of potential! Look to perform as much as you can to build up your confidence, click here for tips on building stage confidence as a singer. Regarding your performance, try to use the stage to engage your audience with the performance. Click here for more stage performance tips for singers. Try and enjoy your performance and not to look too nervous!

Rivmix Dance Academy – So much going on! We could see everyone’s individual skills all coming together. When you were all dancing together, you need to more coordinated and in time – this will come with practise. Really well worked music and theme.

Lil Major – Nice control! We felt like it needed more punch and a greater use of the stage though. Consider faster moves to give it an overall faster tempo. You’re very watchable!

Erin – Lots of potential! You need to perform more to build your confidence, click here for more on building stage confidence as a singer. Build on your performance and work the stage, this will be more engaging for your audience. Click here for stage performance tips for singers. Vocally just take care with your pitch as sometimes you lost a little control.

Olivia Hanks Dancer – Good interpretation of the music, it would be nice to see more height on the jumps. Super control and sharp holds. Lovely choreography and song choice, we love that you perform with your facial expressions as well – this is engaging for the audience.

Tayla Penny-Gardener – Lovely floor work, perhaps try and give your moves more snap to look even sharper. The choreography isn’t very inspiring – it needs to be more ‘edgy’. Very talented with your stretches and leaps!

Daria – Great energy, performance, and commitment. So much confidence shown, you really portrayed the message of the song, worked the stage well and owned it! Really well worked choreography which you varied throughout to keep the interest going throughout.

Jack Gibson – Great impact from the start to some well-chosen music. Demonstrating some great flexibility and sharp moves. You have a great stage presence, we loved the turns! You are very talented and have so much energy, well done Jack.

Harriet Walker – Lots of potential! You need to perform more to build your confidence, click here for tips on building stage confidence as a singer. Work on your performance and work the stage more, this will be more engaging for your audience. Click here for stage performance tips for singers. Vocally, take care with your pitch as sometimes you lost a little control. Try and vary the dynamics more to push your range to be even better. Click here for tips on vocal dynamics.

Chloe – Massive improvement, you’re more confident and you’ve incorporated this into your performance, its great to see! Great performance qualities for your age. Click here for stage performance tips for singers. Vocally you had a lot more power, keep developing and improving, we are excited to see how good you can become! You have a great voice for your age.

Millie May Ellis and Kizzirose Wilcock - Mario Brothers – Excellent flexibility and strength in your acrobatic skills. Super timing between the girls and some super complexity in the routine. Try to keep the level of performance up, even when you’re tired.

Isabella Giorgio-Jones – Super vocal control and tone. You have a fabulous and unique voice. You picked a good song for your voice but consider picking a more modern song, this will make your performance more engaging. Click here for the importance of song choice. Try not to force the big notes too much.

JD Duo – Loved the song choice and such a powerful performance with some great jumps. Great technique, excellent choreography, you performed like two adults! Amazing, well done!

Birmingham Dance Competition Feedback

Izzy K – Always lovely to see you smiling! Performance wise try and make it flow more as you were a little robotic. Vocally you have a super tone but watch your timing and pitch – with a good vocal coach, you can build on your projection, click here for for tips on singing teachers and finding the right singing teacher. Loved the facial expressions, you tell the story very well. Click here for tips on singing with facial expressions.

Sam Lyons – Great focus and skills! Loved the song choice, but you need a big movement before hitting the first chorus. This will be more engaging for your audience. Try to work on your flexibility in your upper body movements, this will make your performance more smooth. Overall, a very strong performance.

Jenna – Such a mature vocal, there’s great richness in your tone. Look to commit more to the performance to convey the emotion in the song. Click here for more tips on how to sing with emotion. Consider using the stage more as this will be more engaging for your audience. Click here for stage performance tips for singers. Also consider adding more vocal dynamics.

Olivia Hanks Singer – You have bags of talent and you perform well! Would like to hear you do a more modern song, better still, perform a creative cover. Click here for more on performing a creative cover as a singer and click here for the importance of song choice. Your vocal projection is good. Try not to breath half way through the lines though.

Double Trouble – Lovely routine, good flexibility, enjoyable theme and we liked the varied content! This was very engaging for your audience. Your personality was shining through the performance, this is key to have your audiences full engagement. It was a little repetitive at times, look to incorporate more moves.

Imran Ahmadpour – Liked your confidence and stage presence! However, you are singing in the wrong key, working with a singing teacher could be very beneficial for you – click here for for tips on singing teachers and finding the right singing teacher. Building your projection is one thing they can focus on with you. You need to listen to your backing music, you need to be in time and keep your pitch in control. Keep working hard.

Bridget Mordue – Good personality! The costume and choices of moves were too inappropriate for the age category though. This is a shame because you are a great dancer! Try to tone it down a little, and you will have masses of potential.

Talha Sarwar – You have a super unique tone finishing very strongly! Look to work on your stage presence, click here for stage performance tips for singers. Work and practice hard so it’s impossible to forget the words, this will also come with confidence. Click here for tips on building stage confidence as a singer. You have masses of potential, keep working hard!

Hannah Digby – Love your energy! A great technical performance, with good lines and body positioning. Try and work on a stronger finish.

Gap Kids – Lots of potential, but look to develop your singing as there were a few tuning issues. Performance wise we would like to see more variation and more coordination with the singers. Click here for stage performance tips for singers. Overall it was a great performance, you all have a lot of potential. To make the performance even better, by adding more distinctive movements.

Finlay Holmes – Excellent work! Very impressive for your age, keep working hard. We love your facial expressions, but make sure to keep them throughout the performance – the intensity was good!

Liam Price – Amazing vocal control and a very comfortable performer. Be nice to see you start to put your own stamp on songs, as we’d love to see some originality from you. Click here for more on performing a creative cover as a singer. You have an amazing vibrato! Keep working hard, we’re sure you will gain success!

Mid-Teen Birmingham Dance Competition Feedback

Fraser Osbourne – Good song choice! Be careful with the vocal control and look to develop your projection to be even better. Click here for tips on vocal projection. You connect well with the emotion in the song, however you just need to perfect your stage craft to be a bit more natural and sincere. Click here for stage performance tips for singers. Try and work on your lower range to better your voice – click here for tips on vocal dynamics.

James Afroman – Stage presence is a different level. Confidence and cool, we couldn’t take our eyes off you! Your hair and styling really makes you stand out even more from the crowd. You have great charisma – please keep this, as this will distinguish you from other dancers. Would be good to see your progress even further and add in more complicated moves.

Jack Howorth – Good stage presence! You are performing well, look to commit even more to the performance by showing us your passion. Click here for more on stage performance tips for singers. Vocally we’re not sure the song brought out the sweeter tone in your vocal range, click here for the importance of song choice. Using dynamics would also enhance your performance greatly! Click here for more on vocal dynamics.

Sophie Edge – You have real character when you dance - fast hands make your performance very engaging! A great performance full of hip hop varied dances. Well done Sophie!

Sunjana – The first impression you gave was poor, you looked incredibly nervous! Try and minimise this before coming on stage. Click here for tips on building stage confidence as a singer and click here for stage performance tips for singers. Vocally just take care with your pitch as sometimes you lost a little control. Keep working on your vocals, you have potential.

Avygayle – We love that you made the song your own! It showed us your originality as an artist. Click here for more on performing a creative cover as a singer. It’s great that you smiled throughout and you have a lovely voice, however look to make the performance more outward to your audience. Try not to breath mid-phrase as this can be distracting from your vocals.

Charlotte Crawford – Super control and flow throughout. Great technique, coordination, body positioning and fluidity throughout your performance. Well done!

Ellisse Daley – Such courage to come back on again, click here for tips on building stage confidence as a singer. You have a lovely powerful vocal and lots of potential however look to perform as much as you can to build up that confidence. Performance wise use that big stage again the more you perform the more you will learn your stage craft.

Holly-Mae Nelson – Loved your styling. Not sure the song choice suited the sweeter tone in your range, it’s so important to pick a song not only you connect with, but which shows off your vocals. Click here for more on the importance of song choice. Lots of potential but you need to perform more to build your confidence, click here for tips on building stage confidence as a singer.

Beech Berry – Very tight routine which you can see you’ve worked so hard to perfect. You have fabulous technique! Try and mix up the music to create more energy and keep the audience engaged.

Dance Competition Feedback

Kellimarie – Great to hear you perform your own song, try to work the dynamics to enhance the chorus so it stands out more, click here for more on on vocal dynamics. Sometimes changing the tempo, intensity and projection can really help the song stand out more. Alternatively, click here for tips on writing a song.

Poppy Dawson – Super outfit to really make you stand out with your moves! Great song choice and routine, but try and add more dynamics to your moves by adding different dance syles.

Grace Merchant – You seemed very nervous and were really concentrating on the moves. Try and let go and relax into your performance. Performing as much as you can will build up your confidence. It needed to be a little crisper and sharper with the moves.

Evie Lopez – You have geat projection, however it was slightly pitchy in places, so becareful not to push your vocal too hard. Look to add more to the performance as you have bags of ability. Click here for stage performance tips for singers.

Zak Hayes – You have good projection, look to use that in a smarter way by working the dynamics. Click here for more on adding vocal dynamics. Also look to perform as much as you can to perfect your stage presence click here also for stage performance tips for singers.

Urban Out Steppers – Great energy throughout the performers. Lovely formation and a well worked routine!

Lauren – Song choice is everything and this song choice didn’t feel that you were in your control, click here for the importance of song choice. Also try and add more facial expressions into your performance, click here for tips on singing with facial expressions. Lots of potential but you need to perform more to build your confidence. Vocally just take care with your pitch as sometimes you lost a little control.

Renaissance – Love vocal groups, but unfortunately poor mic control is really letting you down and ruining your projection and levels. You need to get that microphone as close to your mouth as possible, click here for tips on microphone technique for singers.

Rachelle Davies – Overall it was a good performance, but you need to portray the feelings of the performance more in your facial expressions so we can understand the message more, so try and work on showing more emotion.

Shauty – You have a very deep vocal, but this sounded too low for you and you forced the vocal which caused you to loose your vocal control. Vocally you have super projection, but watch your timing and pitch. Working with a singing teacher could be very beneficial for you – click here for for tips on singing teachers and finding the right singing teacher.

Birmingham Dance Competition - Late-Teen Feedback

Okeam Briscoe – Silky smooth vocals, and great performance skills, but try and keep your performance on the stage as we struggled to see you. Good expression for an overall excellent performance. A great start to the show well done!

The Conjuring – Totally unique. Great routine with lovely height on the lifts. Try and add more variety to the choreography going forward.

Emily England – You have a strong voice, but take care with your mic control as your projection is dropping out as you are being inconsistent positioning your mouth near to the mic, click here for tips on microphone technique for singers. Look to work on your expression to convey that emotion of the song, click here for more tips on how to sing with emotion.

Hannah Jordan – Lovely song, but probably worth considering working the dynamics more to enhance it further and to show off the chorus, click here for more on vocal dynamics. Also look to add in some more melody hooks to grab us in more. Try to convey the emotion you are portraying in the song rather than just swaying and potentially missing an opportunity to use your movement to portraiy the emotion.

Millie Wyles – Lovely rountine and technique, but we would like to see more musical interpretation in your performance.

Holly Mayy – What a warm and rich tone, you picked the perfect song for your vocal. You worked the stage well and conveyed the emotion with conviction. We need to find out if you are writing your own material, as you definitely should be with your potential!

Aimee and Dylan – Liked that you wanted to perform a creative cover, but playing guitar over a backing track can sound crowded and notes can clash. It would have benefitted from a bit of space to breathe, click here for more on performing a creative cover. As performers try and reach out to each other more, as you looked a little uncomfortable. The more you perform together, the more you will perfect your stage craft.

Keilah St Juste – Remember as soon as you step on the stage you are giving an impression, look to give us more stage presence to best project the initial first impression, command that stage! Try and work the dynamics more to show your vocal off at its best, click here for more on vocal dynamics. Also consider your image start to believe in yourself and make us believe in you! Coming off the stage means you have no lighting on your performance so it is hard to see you.

Denkay – A great rountine and performance. Try adding more variety of moves or music mixes to enhance the performance further and keep the audience engaged.

Rhia McBride – A very nervy start, but well done for relaxing more as you got into the performance. Click here for tips on building stage confidence as a singer. Vocally don’t force the vocal otherwise you lose control and your tuning. Try and work the dynamics more to show off your voice at its best. Click here for more on adding vocal dynamics.

Soul4mation – Well worked routine and nice harmonies, but vocally some of the group needs to work on developing their indovidual vocals. You're only as good as your worse singer, so look to work with a vocal coach together. The performance was better than the vocals.

Eloise – Super tone and control to your vocal. You are a string singer, but take as much care on the low notes and verses as the high notes, so work on improving the transition. Keep your shape stable as you pushed the vocal too hard towards the end and lost control and then your pitch went off slightly. Less is more in terms of leading into the vocal.

Frankie’s Dancers – Good energy and formations, but you need to deliver the movements stronger. Great use of the stage space, but make sure your timing is perfect.

NOEL – You have nice tone to your vocal, but the song choice was pretty dated and didn’t show off who you are as an artist. Click here for the importance of song choice. It’s also important to pick clothing you are comfortable with, so you don't spend half the time pulling down your skirt. Click here for the importance of singer's image.

BIRMINGHAM DANCE COMPETITION

All successful acts from the TeenStar Birmingham Regional Finals will be performing at the Midlands Area Final on Saturday 20th May at the Lighthouse Theatre in Kettering. For more information and to buy tickets click here.

If you’re a teenage singer or songwriter with what it takes to win TeenStar, enter now. Alternatively, Open Mic UK are now taking entries for their auditions in the summer. Check out more information about singing competition Open Mic UK and enter now!